The Commons has given the first reading to a Bill drawn up by Cambridge MP Dr Julian Huppert which aims to help England’s local communities protect their shops and pubs.
The Lib-Dem MP told the Commons that his measure – the Local Services (Planning) Bill – would ‘tweak planning law’ to rebalance the playing field in their favour.
‘Technically, it would allow the use of locally determined use classes to separate local independent shops from chains, and supermarkets from other grocers, as well as placing new constraints on changing use away from pubs.
‘Critically, it would be up to the local council to use the measure if it wished to do so. Every area is different, and no council would be forced to use it if it was not appropriate for its area,’ he said.
Read the Commons Hansard report (10 July 2012: Column 184) at: LINK
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